The Hollercast Episode 003- The Perception of Appalachia with Josh and Chase

Appalachia's Reputation

Chase Hail is the Director of Operations at The Holler Creative in Corbin, Kentucky. Aside from managing The Holler’s internal operations, Chase is also involved in community outreach.

Chase was recently selected to BRIGHT Kentucky, a program through Leadership Kentucky that equips young leaders in the Appalachian region of Kentucky to face the socioeconomic issues facing the area. The program consists of five different sessions that meet in five different locations and focus on topics such as understanding your leadership style, collaborating for higher impact, and advocating for the region.

Josh and Chase both grew up in the Appalachian region, so they discussed a recent article from USA today that listed the 25 “Worst Counties to Live in” in the United States. 10 of these counties are located in Kentucky (Floyd, Jackson, Martin, Knox, Harlan, Bell, Leslie, Breathitt, Clay, and McCreary). The list is based on the bachelor’s degree attainment rate, poverty rate, and average life expectancy at birth for each of the counties.

Josh and Chase both agree that these criteria are not the ideal way to measure the quality of life in a county. They recognize that there are issues within this region that ought to be addressed, but they argue that the region shouldn’t be counted out because of them. Chase and Josh suggest that education could be the key to changing the perception of the region. They don’t mean education in the traditional sense, necessarily. The education has to occur both inside and outside the region. Outside the region, we want people to recognize the potential of the region. Inside the region, we want to help foster entrepreneurial spirits and help people understand how they can create hope and opportunity right here in this region.